Disclaimer: This product was provided by Jolse but all thoughts and opinions provided in this review are my own honest view.
In March, RoseRoseShop (an online Korean beauty retailer based in South Korea), launched a new skincare brand ‘Neulii‘ and released 5 different types of serums targeting different skin concerns:
- Aloe BHA Soothing Serum (calming for sensitive skin)
- Teatree BHA Blemish Control Serum (acne and sebum control)
- Snail Bee Anti-Wrinkle Serum (anti-ageing)
- AHA Vita Brightening Serum (exfoliating and brightening)
- Green Tea BHA Pore Tightening Serum (pore and sebum care)
I chose the Snail Bee Anti-Wrinkle Serum because acne and pores aren’t really a concern for me and I already use the Cosrx BHA for sebum control. I love my anti-ageing skincare though, because I’m starting to see the appearance of tiny fine lines along the bridge of my nose, and so this product seemed the most relevant for my skin type. Also, the fact it contains both snail secretion and propolis (aka bee), immediately piqued my interest for being great skin healing ingredients.
I really like the packaging for this product. It’s clean, sleek and simple which I associate with no frills ‘serious’ skincare that just gets down to business. It comes in a lime green box (the colours differ depending on each serum), with information in both Korean and English.
The serum itself is housed in a frosted plastic bottle so you can see how much you have left. It contains 100ml of product and has a pump dispenser (which I like for being hygienic), with a transparent click on cap.
It has a very short ingredients list of which the star ingredients are the snail secretion filtrate and propolis extract. I wish they stated the % amount they both make up of the entire serum but since they come 3rd and 4th out of 13 ingredients, it’s fair to say they make up a sizeable portion of it.
I love snail skincare products because they have many benefits and I find it works really well for my skin. Snail secretion filtrate is high in protein, anti-oxidants and hyaluronic acid, so not only is it moisturising, it fights free radicals that causes premature skin ageing. It stimulates the production of collagen to repair and firm ageing skin and reduce wrinkles. Snail is also great for aiding the skin’s healing process if you have cuts, burns and bites, and reduces the inflammation, redness and scarring of acne.
As for propolis, this is essentially a byproduct of what bees make along with honey; a sticky substance which they use to coat their beehives. I’m less familiar with this ingredient but I’m slowly incorporating it more into my skincare routine and it’s really growing on me for its skin healing properties; forming a barrier to protect skin against external environmental pollutants and slowing down the ageing process.
Other nice ingredients that help fight wrinkles include sodium hyaluronate (moisturising), allantoin (soothes, moisturises and improves skin texture), arginine (repairs skin damage/anti-ageing) and adenosine (anti-wrinkle).
A little slimy but also watery
Spreads smoothly and easily
Leaves no residue and absorbs quickly
This serum has no scent which is good for those that are sensitive to fragrance. I apply this both morning and night after I apply lighter essences/serums and before I apply my moisturiser. I like the consistency of this serum as it’s slightly viscous, and initially feels quite slimy but as you massage it into your skin it has more of a watery texture and absorbs quickly.
It leaves your skin feeling moisturised but doesn’t feel like there’s residue sitting atop the skin and making it feel heavy and clogged. I think this makes it suitable for all skin types. It does not irritate my skin or make me more oily. (I have normal skin with a slightly oily t-zone.)
Although I have been using this for almost a month, I haven’t seen any long term benefits so far with my fine lines. This serum mainly plumps and hydrates my skin, filling in fine lines so they appear less visible, albeit temporarily. I do like this serum however for adding a good dose of moisture, while still feeling quite lightweight so I can wear it under makeup. It has also improved my skin texture as it feels slightly softer and smoother after a month.
Neulii Snail Bee VS Cosrx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Cosrx also makes stickers which you can use to decorate your skincare. 🙂 That red chicken was the closest I could get to ‘snail’ haha.
Both products are similar in a lot of ways. They both have snail as a main ingredient so have similar skin benefits, and both come in simple clean bottles with minimal design. When I first tried the Neulii Snail Bee, it immediately reminded me of the Cosrx because of the slimy clear gel-like consistency. They are however, slightly different in consistency, how they feel on the skin and the results I get from them.
Left: Cosrx. Right: Neulii
To start off with the Cosrx, although many people highly rave about this snail essence, I am not too keen on it. It’s not awful, but it just doesn’t do anything amazing for my skin either. It’s a meh kinda product for me. I’ve had it for about 5 months now and I’ve not seen any major difference in my skin texture or condition. The Mizon AIO snail repair cream is great for calming my skin if I get rashes or red bumps, but this snail essence doesn’t even do that.
The main reason I’m not too keen on this essence however, is that unlike the Neulii Snail Bee, the Cosrx takes a bit longer to absorb and even when it has, it feels like there is a thin tacky film on top of my skin. The Cosrx is ever so slightly more viscous and slimy than the Neulii which makes it more moisturising and suitable for dry skin types. Yet for my skin, it feels a bit too heavy, so other skincare I apply after doesn’t feel like it’s absorbing fully.
If I had to pick between the two, I’d definitely choose the Neulii Snail Bee Serum because its moisturising but light, absorbs quickly, can be layered and makes my skin feel nicer. They both have a simple ingredients lists that is pretty much identical (just appear in different orders), but the Neulii comes with the added benefit of propolis.
If you want to get some snail and bee goodness, you can find them both at jolse.com which I’ve linked below. I love buying from this site because its simple to order with frequent promotional offers, has free shipping and they are super generous with samples.
Neulii Snail Bee Anti-Wrinkle Serum
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
I always enjoy reading your posts! 🙂 They are so informative. This serum looks promising and the ingredient list is so short. I have been using the Tony Moly Snail Serum, and it is pretty good, but way more ingredients.
Aw thank you! That’s really nice to hear because I sometimes worry I’m just rambling too much haha.